Taren Guy and Lexi With The Curls joined NaturallyCurly moderator Evelyn on YouTube last night for a live broadcast of safe straightening tips for natural hair. They talked about their experience using the Motions Straight Finish products on their own beautiful curls, and answered questions from the live comment feed on YouTube!

Here are a few of the key takeaway tips from the broadcast, and if you want to see how Taren and Lexi straighten their natural hair safely, watch the video!

What We Learned

1. How often do you straighten, and how long does your hair stay straight when you straighten it?

Post-big chop Taren hardly ever straightens her hair. This year she has straightened it twice and it lasts about one week in the humid heat of the summer. Lexi generally straightens 5 or 6 times per year, and she's very good at making it last. Lexi's hair stays straight for up to two weeks! Towards the end of those two weeks she puts her hair in pin curls or bantu knot outs to make it last even longer. She works out regularly, so a week and a half in she puts her hair up it in a ponytail.

2. What technique do you use to flat iron your hair?

When Taren straightens her hair she blow dries it first, and then divides it into very small sections. She then uses the "chase method" where she combs her hair with a fine toothed comb and chases it with the flat iron. Lexi used a really cool comb for this that had the live feed commenting a mile a minute! This technique will mean that you only have to pass the flat iron over the hair once.

3. How do you prep your hair for straightening?

Both Taren and Lexi blow out their hair with a blow dryer before taking a flat iron to it. Taren also recommends using the products the night before to wash, detangle and apply the leave-in conditioner. Then divide your hair into 5-6 sections by either braiding or twisting each section. Go to sleep with your hair in these sections and when you wake up your hair will be damp or dry, and stretched. This will allow you to skip the blow drying step.

4. What is the reversion process, how do you get your curls back afterwards?

Taren had no heat damage, all of her curls returned. In the past she has always had heat damage where a section of her curls didn't revert and she would have to trim them, so she was prepared for that to happen this time as well, but all of the curls came right back! Lexi has experienced problems with stylists burning her hair and her curls wouldn't come back. With the Motions products she didn't experience any damage, you can see her before and after shots on her blog. The girls didn't need to deep condition or use any special treatments after straightening their hair, they simply washed as usual and their curls came back on the first try.

5. What temperature was your flat iron?

Lexi had her straightener on 375 degrees, and she only passed through her hair once. You can see her do this in the Live Demo she gave us YouTube video.

Watch the Video

If you'd like to be notified for our next live broadcast on YouTube, be sure you're following NaturallyCurly on Facebook and Twitter.